I've been thinking about this a bit. I have bought Sears tools for a long
time, and really I think I buy them not because of their warranty but because
I expect to not have to use the warranty. I have a lot of faith in their
wrenches, sockets and ratchets, and expect that under my use they will never
break. I do not feel the same way about lesser brands of tools. I will buy
the occasional item at HF, and sometimes I don't have faith in them, but I
don't buy any tool that I don't have some faith in.
To me the thing about Sears is that I go out of my way to go there and buy
tools, and maybe pay more than I would at other places, because I value their
quality. Their quality allows them to have the warranty, they sort of go hand
in hand. By providing value in their tools they bring in business that they
otherwise would lose to competitors, and this makes up for what it costs them
to replace tools under warranty. Similarly with Snap-On- their trucks visit
garages and so forth, and sometimes all they do is on a visit is to replace or
repair tools, but they also sell tools too and they sort of have a captive
audience. Sure a mechanic could go on Saturday to the store and buy a
replacement tool but if the truck is right there and can give it to him right
there ready for him to use, it saves his time and that is worth something too.
Snap-on wouldn't have the customer loyalty that they have without their
service, and their high prices can probably cover the occasional tool
replacement.
> I too, have a box full of Craftsman tools, bought largely because of their
> generous warrantee policy. I have smacked the occasional wrench with a
> two-pound sledge, used cheater bars on the occasional socket, and have
> otherwise used my tools to the fullest.
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